Linguine with Peas, Garlic and Ricotta Salata – #2 Alice Waters

When I went to Mary’s One Perfect Bite blog to see what she cooked from the second of the Fifty Most Influential Women in Food, I found a pasta dish from Alice Waters and thought “crap, pasta on the grill.”  Then I remembered an oven-baked birds nest pasta dish Bev once had at The Acropolis in Chattanooga and the little light bulbs went off saying you can do this.  We began the evening’s adventure with an aperitif of Prosecco given to us by daughter Wende.

Since I knew cooking the pasta on the grill would dry it out, I decided it needed more of a sauce than the recipe would provide so I used the oil left in the pan to make simple cheese sauce (béchamel plus ¼ cup of parmesan and two slices of provolone).  I also used only half as much pasta - check Mary’s site for her recipe and photos.

Linguine with Peas, Garlic and Ricotta Salata - Adapted from One Perfect Bite - Three servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 large garlic cloves, minced

1 cup fresh baby peas (1 pound unshelled)

1/2 pound linguine

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 2 ounces)

Cheese sauce - see above

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and cook over low heat, stirring, until very soft and golden, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the marjoram.

2. In a large pan of boiling salted water, blanch peas in a strainer until just tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer peas to a bowl.

3. Add the linguine to pan and boil until al dente. Drain linguine, reserving 1/4 cup of cooking water. Return pasta to skillet and toss with garlic oil, and reserved pasta water.

4. While pasta is cooking, preheat grill and spray a grill pan with cooking spray.

5. Using tongs, remove pasta from the skillet and make swirled piles with a well on the grill pan and season with S&P. 

6. Add the peas to the skillet for a quick toss in the garlic oil then add them to the wells in the pasta and top with the feta cheese.

7. I had some romaine to grill that I topped with caesar dressing, some chopped anchovies, and parmesan - the first shot is everything headed for the grill.  Set the pan on the grill over indirect heat, close lid, and cook until pasta begins so get a little browned. 

8. While this cooks, add butter to the oil in the skillet (if needed) to get 1 T. then stir in 1 T. flour to make a white roux.

9. Whisk in 1 cups of warm milk and boil until thickened.  Stir in the cheeses and keep warm.
10. Plate the nests, top with the sauce and serve.

We served it with a nice Pinot Griggio from our Wall Street Journal Wine Club shipment.

I thought it turned out pretty good, maybe not company quality, but still a decent adaptation.  Of course my two non-feta loving dining partners, who didn’t get near as much on theirs as I did, thought it needed more flavor.  Bev seems to only be able to taste spicy these days and Pat has a very limited range of acceptability, so I’ll go with my opinion on this J.  Now it's on to the next cook on Mary's list and I hope it's not soup. 

All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

One year ago:  A Lake Cookout

Two years ago: Leftover Pork Tenderloin Version 3

Larry

6/5/12 meal date